I am trying to remove the belt tensioner. I have the belt and pulley off. I rotated it and held it with a pin. I removed the 3 bolts. However, it appears to be trapped behind a diamond shaped plate that is a bracket for the AC compressor mount. I have searched and found no mention of this anywhere in the interwebs or YouTube. I would have thought someone would have run into the bracket plate problem before. That plate is held by 4 bolts (1 holds the compressor). I am hoping I can remove 3 bolts that hold the plate to the block and loosen the compressor bolt and pivot the plate out of the way. Anyone ever done this or seen this before?

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I vaguely remember running accross this same thing a couple/few years ago.

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Jim

https://www.benzworld.org/forums/w202-c-class/2722897-photo-diy-m111-v-belt-tensioner.html#/topics/2722897

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

I don't think they even removed the tensioner in that procedure. Mine doesn't have the shock. I just loosened the remaining 3 bolts on the bracket and that let it move enough to get the thing out. Thanks.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra